Steven Genesin’s photograph is the 2027 Australian Weather Calendar’s December photo
Some photographs are taken in a flash, a moment of inspiration.
That’s not this photograph.
It was Steven Genesin’s second night of chasing the aurora on Kangaroo Island when he captured this striking image.
Holidaying with his wife in Flinders Chase National Park, Steve had been keeping a close eye on aurora alerts, hoping for a glimpse of the southern lights.
His first outing produced little reward, but the alert remained active the following night, convincing him to try again.
Wandering a short distance from the cabin where he was staying, Steve watched as the sky slowly came alive.
“Lo and behold, the sky started to light up a bit and for a good hour or so, maybe an hour and a half, wonderful aurora lights appeared,” he said.
The amateur photographer spent the evening patiently shooting the display to capture the vibrant colours dancing across the night sky.
It wasn’t a case of one perfect shot.
He took dozens of images over several hours as the colours shifted and changed.
“The challenge is to be patient and sooner or later hopefully you’re rewarded with something nice,” he said.
Steve said his love of photography has only grown since retirement, giving him another reason to spend time outdoors exploring natural landscapes, wildlife and weather.
For him, the appeal of places like Kangaroo Island is their untouched beauty.
“If you can get away to a remote spot that looks fairly untouched, there’s some natural beauty in that,” he said.
“I think that’s what most nature photographers would be drawn to, the fact that it is as it’s probably intended to be.”
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